Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a patriot.  I love America.  Don’t get me wrong, I love traveling the world, being introduced to new cultures and food, but I always love coming home.  Obviously, I know that my country has it’s many, many problems, but I still love it.  Well, one thing I LOVE about Colombia, is most everyone I’ve met here is a Colombian patriot.  They love their country, the way that I love mine.  And there is such a rich, indigenous history, of which there are still many artifacts.

These pictures are of artifacts taken at the Museo del Oro (Museum of Gold) in Bogota.  Colombia has taken good care of the artifacts, and the museum is curated very well, and is quite beautiful.  The best part is that it is free on Sundays, which is great for both tourists and locals.  In fact, the great majority of visitors to the museum are Colombians, curious to learn more about their historic past.  It’s beautiful to see both small children and adults excited to learn about their history and I wish I saw that same excitement in my countrymen.

Not only do Colombians seem to relish learning about their history, but as well, are emotional when speaking about the future of the country.  A common sentiment here is, “The war is now over, but we still have not won our independence.”  Those of you that know your Colombian history may be confused by this statement, since Colombian won it’s official independence in 1824, and the world has yet to acknowledge that Colombian has been in a civil war for the last 50 years, calling it rather an “armed conflict.”  In Colombian reality, the country was in a war, and the country has now experienced a period of peace they haven’t seen for 30 years.

With this new found liberty and freedom, there is also a movement (especially among the youth) that Colombians are ready to begin investing again in their country.  The daily threats of robbery, kidnapping, and violence is all but gone, and so the people of Colombia are ready and excited to rebuild.  You can clearly see the entrepreneurial spirit alive in the country and this, I believe, is going to lead Colombia into a new “golden age.”